My focus is in theoretical phonology. Empirical domains include African languages and linguistics, processes involving place of articulation, and segmental processes in general. Driving themes include the balance between representation and computation, the structure of linguistic typologies, and the formal modeling of both.

My dissertation proposes a unified theory of place identity, which is those constraints that mediate featural similarity between two segments (Ident and Agree). For place, identity constraints must control for both the featural similarity as well as the positions of those features within the geometry (C-place vs. V-place). Primary evidence comes from processes involving labial-velars: long-distance major place harmony in Ngbaka, cross-category consonant-to-vowel assimilation in Vietnamese, and partial reduction (place shedding) processes in Amele and a number of other languages. The multiple place features on a single, complex segment allow for a wider range of possible place disparities than simply simple-to-simple mappings.